Diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid and other fluids such as hydrocarbon fluids containing paraffin and/or water have long been used in association with automobiles, trucks, buses, tractors, power generators, construction equipment, ships and railroad locomotives. The use of diesel fuel has many significant advantages such as, for example, a generally reduced unit cost, a higher flash point, and increased fuel efficiency as compared to other forms of liquid fuel. Hydraulic fluid has numerous applications for use in power equipment, construction equipment and in the transportation industry.
Unfortunately, diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid and similar fluids have a major disadvantage, in that they contain other substances, such as water. However, the water separates from liquid diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid and similar liquids at undesirable times to cause many and varied problems, including clogged lines, frozen lines, unusable fuel and the like.
When diesel fuel is used by modern engines as a coolant, 80% of the fuel that goes to the engine is returned to the fuel tank at 140% Fahrenheit or above. The vapor from the hot fuel draws moisture from the ambient air. Upon cooling, the moisture precipitates and the fuel deposits the moisture on the tank walls. Therefore, in modern engine applications, diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid, hydrocarbons and similar fluids have an inherent presence of bound and free water in the fluids. At temperatures below 32.degree. Fahrenheit, the water in these fluids begins to freeze and form ice crystals. The formation of ice also restricts the flow of fluid and adversely affects the operation of the equipment.
In an effort to prevent the formation of excessive water in diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid and other similar fluids several devices have been developed. Particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,895 to Davis entitled "Fluid Flow Baffle for Fuel Processor" is one such device. Other devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,716 to Davis entitled "Fuel Processor Apparatus for Diesel Powered Vehicles" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,090 to Davis entitled "Fuel Processor Apparatus for Diesel Powered Vehicles." The devices described in the cited patents have had limited succes.
Prior art devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,090 to Davis teach directing a flow of mixed fluid down into a compartment for separating the water. Such teaching causes problems. One such problem is the separation and re-mixing of the fundamental parts of the fluid. Specifically, as described in the Davis patent, a mixture is directed down into a container to separate and stabilize the water in the mixture. Assume that the device has successfully stabilized a supply of water. The stationary water is agitated by the mixture being directed down into the container. The downward flow into the container or compartment containing the stationary water causes the stationary water to be agitated. The agitated water mixes with the new mixture entering the compartment to form a secondary water/hydrocarbon mixture. Thus, the separated water is re-entrained or re-mixed into a new water/hydrocarbon mixture. Also, the prior art devices taught in the cited and related patents produce a single plume. The prior art devices create a fan of fluid to prevent a single jetting effect. The jetting effect tends to further disperse and mix the separated water so as to create a secondary water/hydrocarbon mixture.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized by means of the combinations and steps particularly pointed out in the appended claims.